Busy busy...

Life is so fast paced.

In a blink of an eye, I have already completed all my modules and am left with my internship before I am able to graduate.

I feel kind of bad to have neglected this blog for the last few months as I had been busy with camp planning and execution, travelling overseas to Sri Lanka for a short mission trip, then travelling on a short trip with my family to the land down under...

Lately, I have been busy with my internship. Working as an front end developer intern, I have to get used to working overtime quite frequently. However, it is not something I dread doing or complain about. Reason being that, as I work overtime, I get to wrap up my tasks for the day and not carry anything forward to the next day, and face the problem of having to pick up momentum all over again. Usually, when I get home, I will have a late dinner, wash up, and then crash on my bed. But it is all part of the experience. Work-life balance is kind of still there, depending on how time is planned, or what kind of activities I choose to take part in. Overall, it has been a pretty fun and interesting experience, and I can only imagine it being more fun as the year (and my internship) draws to an end.

There are actually many other things which I wish to do as well. Sometimes I overwhelm myself thinking about the things I want to do. However, I guess I got to start somewhere...

Here's a heads-up, I know that this blog has been live for only a short period of time... and it has not really been updated, but I may migrate to another blogging platform in the near future. But until all is set up and done, stay tuned for more updates on this blog...

Cheers!

Lessons in life...

The learning never stops. Learning does not only take place in schools where you gain knowledge through textbook readings, but also through many other experiences in life.

As I am a Christian, I choose to believe that whenever GOOD or BAD things happen, whatever the experience, God has allowed it to happen for a reason. That is why I thank God for well most of the things that have happened in my life.

Why I am writing this post is because I was involved in an accident yesterday evening, and well... this time, I guess it was my fault, and I take responsibility for it. I was away for so long because I was  very busy. I was in the planning committee of a camp (which just ended yesterday...), I went to Sri Lanka for a children's club exchange program, and then went for a first aid course, then the actual camp itself... I'm not writing to find any excuses. Instead, I would like to share how different experiences can teach you things in life. Especially BAD or NEGATIVE experiences... (we tend to learn better from making mistakes right?)

Somehow, I feel that even in this accident, I was able to remain rather collected to know what I should do, and who I should contact. I realized that it was actually due to the previous minor accidents which I had gone through, and one pretty serious one where I was a passenger of the vehicle in the front. Watching how my father had handled the situations then, I learned a lot subconsciously, and knew how I could handle the situation yesterday. Also, having undergone the first aid course, I was able to attend to my friend and apply first aid on him before the ambulance came.

Some people say it can be very coincidental, or I was very fortunate. But I believe that these were all planned by God, in such a timely fashion that somehow, I had enough experience and exposure to manage the situation on my own before my father arrived at the scene. Also, this accident could be part of a bigger plan of God as well! Which we as humans, cannot fully understand.

But, I know God has plans for us to prosper, and to give us a hope and a future, and on God's promises I stand trusting and leaning on the Lord for his help in every situation.

I thank God for all that he has done and blessed me with, especially for the loving people he has put around me.

Stay safe, drive safe. God Bless.
P.S. Please fasten your seat-belt when you are in any vehicle. It does help to minimize injuries. ;)

Judging Others

Just about a week ago, I was having breakfast with my parents and siblings. After which dad started to share about life, how we should live our lives and all. One of the points he shared was how he is a much happier person now compared to last time. He tries not to judge others and forgive them for whatever they have done that may cause him to feel bad. He admits that it is not an easy task, and there are times where he will end up judging and rationalizing about the incident and start to feel angry... but when he realizes that he is unhappy, he reminds himself to let it go, and forgive the person.

Coincidentally, or maybe it was God's lesson plan for me that day, my friend shared her experience that afternoon with me as well! She felt bad that she had done something wrong that day, that she had judged too quickly. She was taking a cab home in Toa Payoh, when she saw another taxi alighting a passenger from afar. She saw the person alight from the right side of the taxi, where the road is, and cars are all driving by. She thought to herself, "It's dangerous! He should exit from the other door!" Eventually she saw and realized that the passer that was alighting was a disabled person, having artificial legs. She then felt bad for judging the passenger too quickly... and concluded that she should not have judged too quickly. 

Personally, I feel that sometimes, we tend to jump to our own conclusions based on what we experience, feel, and see. I am guilty of doing so as well, and am trying to change... There are times where we are correct in deducing what the outcome is, or how things have led up to the outcome. But more often than not, we do not know the other side of the story, and may have misunderstood many situations. If only we did not judge others' actions or behaviour, the world would probably be a very much nicer place to live in. Every action has its consequence, what it is, it really is not up to us to decide. Only time will tell what the consequence is. Let's learn to stop judging others, and instead, check our own lives and see if we are actually doing something that we think we do not like others to do. 

Have a blessed week ahead!

Just a quick one on Success.

I just realized it has been a month since I last posted.
Been really busy with assignment deadlines at school and exam preparations in the last one month. Even as I'm updating the blog today, I am in the middle of my examination period.

Sometimes, I wonder... What is success?
Is it doing really well in school? Or earning big bucks when you are in the workforce? Or is it simply a concept, made up by humans, to pursue an improved lifestyle?

Sometimes, we get caught up in getting FULL marks in our education, and forget about the learning process...
Sometimes, we are so caught up in our jobs that we overwork ourselves and burn out, forgetting the people closest to us...
Sometimes, we pursue high positions so that we may earn more, forgetting that with a higher salary, comes more responsibilities...

Why do a lot of us look down on humble jobs like the cleaners on our streets, and the bus drivers? Those jobs are as equally important as the office job. Cleaners help to maintain the level of cleanliness in our country, and bus drivers help to bring you to work on a daily basis. Stop and think for a moment, what would the country be without them?

There really isn't such a thing as a good or bad job. People are made differently, and have different purposes in life, based on their capabilities. Not everyone is able to score distinctions in school, likewise, not everyone is cut out to be a CEO of some Multi-National Corporation.

I feel that success should be defined as you being able to do your part, and do it to the best of your ability. Irregardless of what your job is, take pride in it, and contribute to the society at large.

Feel free to share your thoughts and views on it in the comments.

Cheers :)

Living a purposeful life...

What is our purpose in life?
This handbag got me thinking... "Handbags are not made to be flower pots are they? But, why is it that the plant growing out of it look like it is flourishing?"

Then, it dawned on me. Everyone has a different purpose in life. Sure there is the ideal or dream route which everyone wants to go along, but not everyone is able to make it on that path. Everyone is created differently in life. That is what makes each and every one of us unique.

Now imagine with me for a moment. An entire city or state, filled with people, wearing the same clothes, looking exactly like the other, and all doing the same job. Am I right to say that it is not very interesting?

Same goes for all of us. We are all created special, for a various purposes. What our purpose is, we may never know until we reflect on what we have done, and where we end up being at. We are all given the freedom to make decisions, and choose the next step we want to take. Whatever the choice, the consequences follow in time.

A handbag's primary purpose is to be made use of. It is supposed to be filled with items that the owner wishes to carry around. Sometimes, it may be filled to its maximum capacity, other times, it may be used to carry a few items. Over time, it may wear out, and start falling apart. However, with a loving owner, it may be mended such that it is still usable. If things get really bad, the owner may decide to give it a lighter load, or even re-purpose it such that it performs other tasks, just like the flower pot in the image above. It can be filled all over again, this time, with soil and then, with the right seeds being sown into it, a beautiful plant will grow out of it.

On the other hand, if the handbag is left in the store, it may look pretty on the outside, yet, its life is filled with emptiness, or garbage. At least until it has been bought by someone who will give it a purpose for its life.

The creator has created everyone with a specific purpose for their lifetime. Whether or not the purpose is fulfilled, depends on the choices the person makes. Whether the person wants to trust their life into the hands of the creator and owner, such that he will be used to his maximum capabilities or not, the choice is his. The creator has done his part in creating the person and giving him a life, and he is there, waiting for the person to go back to him, so that he is able to show the person how much he has planned ahead for the person. All it takes, is a decision for the person to decide to trust and follow the creator.

Which would you want to be? A beautiful handbag in the store, whose life is filled with emptiness? Or a handbag that has been bought by the creator, being used as it should be, living a purposeful life?

Think about it.
God Bless.

Life: Another perspective..

Even as my last post was about my view on life, I happened to see this post by chibird viewing life as a story filled with various chapters...

...since v-day is just around the corner, why not take the time to listen to your partner's story if you have not done so yet? 

Life: Trials and Troubles

Life is not easy. In fact, GOD has promised that in this world, we will have trouble! Therefore, I guess, facing various trials is part and parcel of life.

It was only a few days ago when I felt as though I was at my lowest point in life. All of a sudden, I felt really insignificant and started to ask myself many questions like, "Who am I, really?", "What do I see myself in future?", just to name a few. I was suddenly searching for answers to these questions when this illustration popped into my mind.

Life can be viewed as a journey through a mountainous region. Every mountain is a phase in life which one has to go through. Be it studying, working, or even raising a family, every mountain ahead will be higher, and possibly tougher than the previous one. Facing the mountains ahead, a person would not be able to have a clear view of what lies beyond that. The best someone could get is maybe a glimpse of the mountain peak, where he thinks he would like to end up at. But before the person could get anywhere, there are mountains which he has to conquer.

Every mountain is bound to have its fair share of obstacles along the way - steep, near vertical sections while climbing up; deep, dark caves; crumbling rocks; etc. - some easier than others to tackle, but none avoidable. These obstacles represent the trials or troubling times we encounter in our journey. They may appear unexpectedly, or we may see it coming but still have to face them. Every obstacle cleared is a step closer to reaching the peak of the mountain. These trials are virtually inevitable, should you successfully avoid one, there may be another one waiting for you.

Facing each obstacle, there are times where a person can make a mistake, slip, or even take a fall. After every fall, one has to decide if he would like to tackle the same obstacle again, or find an alternate path. Either way, he has to make a choice and ultimately reach his goal. 

Personally, I've reached the top of the mountain a couple of times earlier in my journey when I was much younger. Those mountains were not very tall, and they were relatively easy to achieve compared to where I am at now. I still remember telling myself that the view up there was not very nice, and with the extra responsibilities, I felt that it was not worth it. Looking ahead, the mountains are higher and the view from the top has to be better than what I have experienced. However, I keep falling and hurting myself with my thoughts and past experiences. These things prevent me from pressing on, and at points, made me feel weak and hopeless. Past experiences can be a good teacher and an enemy, I realized that I should remember the lessons and develop from the negatives that happened. Knowing a God who has promised me that He has plans to prosper me, and give me a hope and a future also helped me get back on my feet. If I did not have God with me, I would have probably given up already. I really thank God for bringing me to where I am now, and even helping me along, and giving me breakthroughs in seemingly impossible tasks. 

Life is a learning journey. The rate at which things are changing these days is pretty alarming. However, though things on Earth may change, there is a constant which I can always turn to, and that is God. For he is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. It is in him where I find the strength to pick myself back up every time, and with the support of family and friends He has put around me, I managed to get this far in my journey through the mountains. For all that God has done for me, I give thanks, and praise Him. ;)